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New Hampshire Gov. Chris SununuJon Cherry/Getty Images

CONCORD (LifeSiteNews) – Legislation to ensure student developments related to sexuality and gender are not hidden from parents has stalled in the New Hampshire legislature, following the opposition of liberal Republican Gov. Chris Sununu and the state Attorney General’s office.

HB1431, the Parental Bill of Rights, would have forbidden public education bodies in the state from “infring[ing] on the fundamental rights of a parent to direct the upbringing and education of his or her minor child without demonstrating that such action is reasonable and necessary to achieve a compelling state interest and that such action is narrowly tailored and cannot be achieved by less restrictive means.”

Specifically, it would have penalized any state employee who “encourages or coerces, or attempts to encourage or coerce, a minor child to withhold information from his or her parent” unless the parent is suspected of a crime against the child, and guaranteed a parent’s right to be notified of a wide range of activities and developments involving their child, including “medical treatment, including provision of medication, psychological, or counseling services,” as well as “any action by school authorities relating to the student pursuant to school policies governing […] gender expression or identity.”

READ: Mother delivers powerful message outlining how the LGBT agenda led her daughter to suicide

While a milder version passed the state House, NHPR reports that HB1431 hit a snag when the Attorney General’s office claimed the bill could violate anti-discrimination laws, followed shortly by Sununu announcing his opposition. “This bill as written creates numerous challenges for kids,” Sununu said. “I share the concerns of the Attorney General and as such, will veto the bill if it reaches my desk.”

Critics claimed the bill could force schools to share sensitive information about children with potentially abusive parents, but House Majority Leader Rep. Jason Osborne argued that “it’s pretty clear that when children need help, their best chance of getting that is when parents know what’s going on.”

Yahoo News adds that negotiations over the latest version of the bill broke down last week, adding the Parental Bill of Rights is effectively dead for the time being.

An array of left-wing organizations allied against HB1431, including GLAAD, the American Federation of Teachers, and the New Hampshire chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union, AFL-CIO, and National Education Association.

READ: Teachers reportedly coached girl into a trans identity, then accused parents of abusing her

“We are here because we are concerned about our children,” argued Republican state Sen. Sharon Carson. “And the fact that parental rights have been eroded over time […] When did teachers become mental health counselors?”

“If my child is going to get mental health counseling at school, I want to make sure that that person is qualified to do that type of counseling decision with my child,” Carson said. “But because no one is being told, I don’t get to make that decision for my child.”

The parental rights bill was part of a wave of similar laws being proposed by Republicans across the country in response to a deluge of examples of left-wing teachers using their taxpayer-funded positions of authority to expose captive underage audiences to various far-left doctrines, from critical race theory to “gender fluidity,” often with school officials actively conspiring to keep parents in the dark.

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